New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Fisnics Salmon Ice’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Fisnics Salmon Ice’, characterized by its outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit; small to medium growth habit; freely branching and freely flowering habit; medium green-colored foliage; large, rounded, light red-colored flowers with white-colored centers; and flowers positioned above and beyond the foliage.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Impatiens hawkericultivar Fisnics Salmon Ice.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of NewGuinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Fisnics Salmon Ice’.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Hillscheid, Germany and Galder, Gran Canaria, Spain.The objective of the breeding program is to develop new medium-sizedImpatiens cultivars with an early to medium flowering response and largerounded flowers with attractive coloration.

The new Impatiens originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor during the spring of 1999 of the Impatiens hawkeri cultivarFisnics Red, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,226, as the female, orseed, parent with the Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Danharwt, not patented,as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Fisnics Salmon Ice wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within theprogeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment inGalder, Gran Canaria, Spain in April, 2000.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken inGalder, Gran Canaria, Spain, since July, 2000, has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Fisnics Salmon Ice’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Fisnics Salmon Ice’ as a newand distinct Impatiens cultivar:

1. Outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit; small tomedium growth habit.

2. Freely branching and freely flowering habit.

3. Medium green-colored foliage.

4. Large, rounded, light red-colored flowers with white-colored centers;flowers positioned above and beyond the foliage.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the femaleparent, the cultivar Fisnics Red. In side-by-side comparisons conductedby the Inventor in Hillscheid, Germany, plants of the new Impatiensdiffered from plants of the cultivar Fisnics Red in the followingcharacteristics:

1. Plants of the new Impatiens were smaller than plants of the cultivarFisnics Red.

2. Plants of the new Impatiens had larger flowers than plants of thecultivar Fisnics Red.

3. Flowers of plants of the new Impatiens were light red in color withwhite-colored centers whereas flowers of plants of the cultivar FisnicsRed were red in color.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the maleparent, the cultivar Danharwt. In side-by-side comparisons conducted bythe Inventor in Hillscheid, Germany, plants of the new Impatiensdiffered primarily from plants of the cultivar Danharwt in flower coloras plants of the cultivar Danharwt had white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Impatiens can also be compared to plants of thecultivar BFP-650 Peach, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,108. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Hillscheid,Germany, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of thecultivar BFP-650 Peach in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Impatiens were smaller than plants of the cultivarBFP-650 Peach.

2. Plants of the new Impatiens had lighter green-colored leaves thanplants of the cultivar BFP-650 Peach.

3. Plants of the new Impatiens had larger flowers than plants of thecultivar BFP-650 Peach.

4. Flowers of plants of the new Impatiens and the cultivar BFP-650 Peachdiffered in flower coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Impatiens. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Fisnics Salmon Ice’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Fisnics Salmon Ice has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown in Hillscheid, Germany, under commercialproduction practice in a glass-covered greenhouse. Rooted young plantswere planted in 12-cm containers in late February and the aforementionedphotograph and following observations and measurements were taken about11 weeks later in early May. During the production of the plants, daytemperatures were about 18 to 22° C. and night temperatures were about16 to 18° C. In the following description, color references are made toThe Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Fisnics Salmon Ice.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Fisnics Red, disclosed in U.S.Plant Pat. No. 13,226.

Male parent.—Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Danharwt, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal tip cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 8 to 10 days at 24° C. Winter:About 12 to 15 days at 21° C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Summer: About 15 days at 24° C.Winter: About 18 to 20 days at 21° C.

Root description.—Numerous, fibrous, and freely branching; 158D incolor.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plantgrowth habit; small to medium growth habit; freely branching habit,dense and bushy appearance; freely flowering. Moderately vigorous.

Crop time.—From a rooted cutting, about 9 to 10 weeks are required toproduce finished flowering plants in 12-cm containers.

Plant height.—About 19.5 cm.

Plant diameter or spread.—About 35 cm.

Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: About 8 to 10. Length: About 15 to17 cm. Diameter: About 5 to 6 mm. Internode length: About 3.5 to 4 cm.Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 145C; towards the nodes, faintlyoverlain with 179B.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Primarily in whorls. Length: About 12to 13 cm. Width: About 3 to 4 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute toacuminate. Base: Acute. Margin: Serrulate with ciliation. Texture:Smooth, slightly rugose; glabrous. Color: Developing foliage, uppersurface: 143A. Developing foliage, lower surface: 139C. Fully expandedfoliage, upper surface: 137A. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface:139C. Venation, upper surface: 145A. Venation, lower surface: 143D.Petiole: Length: About 1 to 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Texture:Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: 48B. Color, lower surface: 179C.

Flower description:

Flower type and flowering habit.—Single, rounded, large, lightred-colored flowers with white-colored centers. Freely and continuouslyflowering; usually about 6 to 8 flowers and flower buds per lateralbranch. Flowers positioned above and beyond the foliage; flowerstypically face parallel to the leaf canopy. Petals not persistent;gynoecium persistent. Flowers not fragrant.

Flower longevity.—Flowers last about 8 to 9 days on the plant.

Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. Plants beginflowering about 9 weeks after planting.

Flower buds.—Length: About 2.2 cm. Diameter: About 1.7 cm. Shape: Ovoid.Color: 43C.

Flower length.—About 7. 4 to 7.6 cm.

Flower width.—About 7.4 to 7.6 cm.

Flower depth.—About 1 to 1.5 cm.

Petals.—Quantity: Five per flower, imbricate. Length: Banner petals:About 3 to 3.2 cm. Lateral petals: About 3.5 to 3.7 cm. Base petals:About 4 to 4.2 cm. Width: Banner petal: About 4.2 to 4.4 cm. Lateralpetals: About 3.2 cm. Base petals: About 3.8 to 4 cm. Shape: Cordate.Apex: Moderately lobed, emarginate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire.Aspect: Flat to slightly cupped. Texture: Smooth; satiny. Color: Whenopening, upper surface: 40A. When opening, lower surface: 43C. Fullyopened, upper surface: 43C; towards the base, 155D; eye zone, 68C. Colorbecoming closer to 43D with development. Fully opened, lower surface:43C to 43D.

Spur.—Quantity: One per flower. Length: About 5.5 to 6 cm. Diameter: Atapex: About 0.5 mm. At flower: About 3 mm. Aspect: Curved. Color: 52B to52C.

Peduncles.—Length: About 5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture: Smooth,glabrous. Strength: Strong, flexible. Color: 144C; towards the base,179B.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: Five fused at anthers,hooded; filaments free. Anther length: About 5 mm. Anther shape:Obovate. Anther color: 43C. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 8D.Gynoecium: Pistil quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 7 mm.Stigma color: 8D. Style color: 8D. Ovary: Five-celled. Ovary color:143A.

Seed/fruit.—Feed and fruit development has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not beenobserved to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Impatiens.

Low temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Impatiens have beenobserved to tolerate night temperatures of 5° C. with 10° C. daytemperatures.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiensplant named ‘Fisnics Salmon Ice’, as illustrated and described.